First-time UFC fighter Jimi Manuwa wowed in his UFC debut, as he battered and bruised the always-tough Kyle Kingsbury for 10 minutes before earning a TKO via doctor’s stoppage.

The light heavyweight bout was part of the preliminary card of Saturday’s UFC on FUEL TV 5 event at Capital FM Arena in Nottingham, England. The fight streamed on Facebook prior to a main card on FUEL TV.

It wasn’t all bad for “Kingsbu,” as Manuwa fired off a wild left hook to open, and Kingsbury ducked underneath and brought the fight to the floor. He immediately latched on to the neck and looked for choke opportunities, but Manuwa patiently worked through and sought an escape. He needed just a brief opening as Kingsbury looked to adjust his grip, and Manuwa finally climbed back to his feet and went to work with crisp striking and nasty combinations.

Shortly after, an overhand right dropped Kingsbury, and Manuwa brought him back to the feet rather than engage on the floor. From there, it was a dizzying array of strikes including flying knees, several kicks to the face, knees to the body and nasty punches thrown with ill intentions. It was one-sided offense, and Manuwa would never again relinquish control.

Kingsbury answered the bell in the second despite a badly wounded face and a left eye that was almost completely closed. He walked through a few early punches and dove into a badly-needed takedown that pushed Manuwa to the floor with his head against the cage. But Manuwa scrambled to his feet before absorbing any damage, and though Kingsbury kept the action tight for the first two minutes, the end was still inevitable. Manuwa knees and a kick to the head continued the assault, and Manuwa flashed his versatility with a Peruvian necktie attempt that just missed.

If there was a criticism, Manuwa did appear to tire in the final 90 seconds, as a sloppy return to the feet let Kingsbury find a way to get back to top position and into side control. It was an active rest for Kingsbury, but he wasn’t able to capitalize with any counter attacks. A battered Kingsbury gave a courageous smile at the end of the frame, but the damage had been done.

As doctors came in to inspect Kingsbury’s face, he was unable to open the left eye, and the fight was waved off. Despite the disappointing end to the clash, it was an impressive debut for Manuwa and a gutsy effort by Kingsbury.

Manuwa (12-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) remains undefeated and has yet to fight to a decision in 12 professional appearances.

“He was a tough opponent,” Manuwa said after the win. “I have a lot to learn still, (but I’m) glad to be in the UFC and looking forward to the next one.”

Despite another courageous outing, Kingsbury (11-5 MMA, 4-4 UFC) has now dropped three-straight UFC contests, and he admitted he’s at a bit of a crossroads.

“I feel bad; I needed that win,” Kingsbury said. “I take my hat off to Jimi. I need to take some time and do some soul searching, figure out if this is still something I want to do.”

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